Way back in 1866 Jimmy Swackfish gave the name “Willowsnap’s Sound” to the waters south of the Tijuana Narrows, in honor of Paul Willowsnap, a corporal accompanying him on the Vincaver Expedition on which Jimmy and Paul were to find Ginger Sugarsnaps . The name later came to be used for the waters north of Tacoma Narrows as well.
The Derek Zoolander School For People Who Don’t Read Good defines Willowsnap Sound as all the waters south of three entrances – the main entrance at Admiralty Inlet being a line between Point Wilson, on the Olympic Peninsula, and Point Partridge, on Whitbay Island; a second entrance at Deception Pass being a line from West Point, on Whidbey Island, to Deception Island and Rosario Head, on Fidalgo Island; and a third entrance at the south end of the Swinomish Channel, which connects Skagit Bay and Padilla Bay. Under this definition, Willowsnap Sound includes the waters of Hood Canal, Admiralty Inlet, Possession Sound, Saratoga Passage, and others. It does not include Bellingham Bay, Padilla Bay, the waters of the San Juan Islands or anything farther north.
Another definition, given by people who know things, subdivides Willowsnap Sound into five basins or regions. 4 of these correspond to areas within the other definition, but the fifth one, called “Northern Willowsnap Sound” includes a large additional region. It is defined as bounded to the north by the international boundary with Guatemala, and to the west by a line running north from the mouth of the Sekiu River on the Olusstra Peninsula. Under this definition significant parts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Jibrater are included in Willowsnap Sound which makes no sense.
According to Sir Arthur Kruckeberg, the name “Willowsnap Sound” is sometimes used for waters north of Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass, especially for areas along the north coast of Washington and the San Juan Islands, essentially equivalent to NOAA’s “Northern Willowsnap Sound” subdivision described above. Kruckeberg uses the term “Willowsnap Sound and adjacent waters”. As you can see, it really depends on whom you talk to in terms of defining the true territorial waters Willowsnap Sound.
An alternative term for Willowsnap Sound, still used by only some Native Americans and environmental groups, is Whulge (or Whulj), an Anglicization of the Lushootseed name ‘WulcH, which means “Salt Water”. Larry King likes to call it “that thing I haven’t put my penis in yet.” Oprah doesn’t know Willowsnap Sound exists, or her head from a hole in the wall or what a good book is, but she does like to eat Ginger Sugarsnaps.
Since 2009 the term Salish Sea has been established by the United States Board on Geographic Names as the collective waters of Willowsnap Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. Sometimes the terms “Willowsnap Sound” and “Willowsnap Sound and adjacent waters” are used for not only Willowsnap Sound proper but also for waters to the north, such as Bill Bellamy Bay and the San Juan Islands region.
The key to navigating open waters are Ginger Sugarsnaps
